Electrical teleindicating device



June 23,1936. E, METHLIN 2,045,042

ELECTRICAL TELEINDICATING DEVICE Filed Nov. 25, 1932 BY I ' ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED STATES ELECTRICAL 'TELEINDICATING DEVICE Nicolas Emilien Methlin, Paris, France, assignor to Schneider & Cie., Paris, France, a company of France Application November 25, 1932, Serial No. 644,366

In France December 19, 1931 6 Claims. (01. 117 s51) The present invention relates to a device for controlling at a distance any movable elements with a view to bringing them into a well-determined position.

5 The particular feature of the invention is that it renders possible the transmission of an algebraic sum of distinct indications provided by a plurality of independent mechanical devices installed at the transmitting station.

10 The invention is more particularly applicable for controlling gun-fire.

The accompanying drawing shows diagrammatically by way of example the manner in which the invention may be applkfiv for trans- 5 mitting thev indication of the future azimuth of an objective to the servers of a gun employed for firing against aerial objectives, the said indication being obtained by performing the algebraic sum of the actual azimuth, as determined by a, direct sight, and of the kinetic correction allowing for the displacement of the. said objective during the flight of the projectile, it being known that this correction may be determined as a function of the voltage furnished by a small I 25 magneto-electric machine driven by the aiming mechanism.

In the diagram, in which T is the transmitter and R is the receiver, l denotes a shaft driven by the rotatable member an indication of the 30 position of which it is desired to transmit to the receiver-in a fire control system, I might be rotated in accordance with the movements in azimuth of a target sighting mechanism; 2 is a potentiometer curved in a circle having its centre at 3; i is a diametral brush holder keyed to I and thusadapted to rotate about 3, driving the two brushes and 0 which wipe over 2 in two points situated at the ends of one and the same diameter; 1 and 8 are'two current collecting 40 rings integral with the brush holder and connected respectively to 5 and B. These rings are wiped by two fixed brushes 9 and I0 connected respectively to the fixed contacts H and I2 of a two-way switch I3 having'its movable arm M 45 influenced by a spring i5 and adapted to be attracted by an electro-magnet IS. The reference characters l',.2, 3' l6 respectively denote elementscorresponding to I, 2, I6.but situated at-the receiving station R. Shaft i is adapted to be rotated manually by the receiving station operator to such position thatit corresponds with the position of shaft'l at the transmitting station. In a fire control system, i might be actuated in accordance with the training movements of a gun in azimuth.

At ll is indicated a source of direct current feeding the potentiometers 2 and 2', A rotary switch I8 is mounted on i and is utilized for maintaining the electro-rnagnets l6 and it energized as long as the brush 5 is on the upper half of the potentiometer 2. When brush 5 passes onto the lower half of potentiometer 2, rotary switch l8 de-energizes electro-magnets l6 and I6 and springs l5 and i5 move switch arms l4 and I4 into engagementwith contacts l2 and I2, thereby connecting brush 6, which is then on the upper half of potentiometer 2, and brush 0' to the control wire circuit next to be described. With this construction, the upper halves of the potentiometers-are always the controlling portions, thereby avoiding the possibility of erroneous operation of the indicating system should a brush holder stop in such position that one of its brushes lies in the gap between the ends of the potentiometer coil.

A voltmeter l9, located at the receiving station and, constructed to indicate simultaneously the direction and magnitude of the current passing through it, is connected between l4 and It by means of a control wire 20. A source of direct current M is connectedin series with and may be suitably constructed and controlled so that its voltage is proportional to the correction which is to be added algebraically to the indication of the actual position of shaft l and brush holder 4. In a fire control system, element 2| may comprise a suitable magneto-electric machine which is so connected with the target observing mechanism that the voltage generated thereby is a function of the kinetic correction to at any instant to take care of the azimuthal displacement thereof during the time of flight of a projectile fired from receiving station B. As one example of such a magneto-electric machine, reference may be had to U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,345,700 to Routin, granted July 6, 1920.

At 22 is indicated a source of alternating curstated hereinbefore, the two groups of brushes 5-'5' and 6-6 are automatically put into service alternately, and consequently, if 2| and 22 provide voltages of zero value, everything will take place as if there were employed two trans-- missions by Wheatsto'ne bridge of known type (for example, as disclosed in French Patent No; 508,952, of the 21st December 1917), utilized albe applied to the actual azimuth of the target bridge circuit; and by moving shaft I and its associated brush holder 4' until voltmeter l9 registers zero, the position of shaft I may be indicated or reproduced at the receiving station by the position of shaft I. In a fire control systerm, this would resultin the gun or other mechanism associated with shaft I being moved to the same azimuth as the mechanism associated with shaft I.

It will also be appreciated that if the voltage provided at 2| is denoted by e, it will be necessary, in order to return the pointer of voltmeter I 9 opposite its zero mark, to displace shaft I is properly balanced to give a zero indication on voltmeter IS, the position of shaft l indicates the true azimuth of the target corrected for its expected movement during the time of flight.

Finally, it will be observed that by suitably adjusting the frequency and the voltage of 22,

, the pointer of IS may be given a vibration of very slight amplitude which, without causing any interference in the operation of the distant indication, possesses the considerable advantage of providing an automatic check on the condition of the lines and on the working of the apparatus. It is, in fact, obvious that any vibration of the pointer would disappear if, for example. the circuit throu'gh connecting wire 20 were broken, or again'if the brush 5' were brought into the zone of interruption separating the two ends of 2', the transmitter being in the position shown in the figure.

In the case of a pluralityof receivers, a distributor may be mounted on 20 in known manner (see for example the French Certificate of Additi'on No. 23623/508952 of the 3rd March, 1920 and the U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,471,708).

While, by way of exemplification, the present invention has been described as it might be'applied to a fire control system, itwill be expressly understood that it is not limited to such use, but is capable of employment in any suitable teleindicating device wherein it is desired to bring a mechanically movable element at one station to a position corresponding to' that of a similar element at a distant station, either with. or without a correction to the position oLthe former which is independently introduced into the system by still another movable element. It is also to be understood that the specific form and construction of the magneto-electric machine II and alternating current source 22 form no part of the present invention, any suitable mechanisms of the character described being within the contemplated scope of the invention. Various other changes which will now appear to those skilled in the art may be made in the form, details of construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention, and reference is therefore to be had to the appended of its associated rheostat.

claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

Where, in the specification and claims, reference is made to the upper half of potentiometers 2 and 2', it will be understood that this term is used in a relative sense only to designate that semi-circumferential portion of each potentiometer which is symmetrically located between the terminals thereof. Likewise, the lower" half of each rheostat is meant to indicate the half in which the terminals are centrally located.

I claim:

1. In an electrical tele-indicating device of the type employing a circular rheostat at each of the transmitting and receiving stations, a contact carrying arm rotatably associated with each of said rheostats, a source of potential connected across the terminals of each of said rheostats, and a bridge circuit connecting said transmitting and receiving stations including an electrical device responsive to the fiow of current insaid circuit, the combination of a pair of contacts carried by each of said arms and engaging the associated rheostat at diametrically opposite points, and means controlled by the position of the arm at the transmitting station for connecting the bridge circuit to that contact of each of said pairs which at any instant is in engagement with that half of its associated rheostat which is symmetrically disposed between the terminals thereof.

2. In an electrical tele-indicating device of the type employing a circular rheostat at each of the transmitting and receiving stations, a rotatable contact carrying arm associated with each of said rheostats, a source of potential connected across the terminals of each of said rheostats and a bridge circuit connecting said transmitting and receiving stations including an electrical device responsive to the flow of current in said circuit, the combination of a pair of diametrically opw site contacts carried by each of said arms and engaging the associated rheostat, and electromagnetic means controlled by the position of the arm at the transmitting station for connecting the bridge circuit to that contact of each of said pairs which at any instant is in engagement with that half of its associated rheostat which is symmetrically disposed between the terminals thereof.

3. In an electrical tele-indicating device of the type employing a circular rheostat at each of the transmitting and receiving stations, a contact carrying arm rotatably associated with each of said rheostats, a source of potential connected across the terminals of each of said rheostats, and a bridge circuit connecting said transmitting and receiving stations including an electrical device responsive to the now of current in said circuit, the combination of a pair of contacts car-' ried by. each of said arms and engaging the associated rheostat at diametrically opposite positions, a pair of fixed terminals electrically connected with each of said pairs of contacts, a switch arm connected to each end of said bridge circuit and adapted to contact one or the other of the pair of that fixed terminal of each of said pairs which is electrically connected to thatJcontact which at any instant is in engagement with the upper half 4. In an electrical tale-indicating device of the site contacts carried by each of said arms and.

engagingthe associated rheostat, a pair of fixed terminals electrically connected with each of said pairs of contacts, a switch arm connected to eachend of said bridge circuit and adapted to contact one or the other of the pair of fixed terminals at the respective station, means yieldably urging each of said switch arms into contact with one of its associated. pair of fixed terminals, electromagnetic means for moving each of said switch arms into contact with the other of its associated pair of fixed terminals, and means for energizing said electromagnetic means only when the contact at the transmitting station electrically connected to the last mentioned fixed terminal is in engagement with the upper half of its associated rheostat.

5. In an electrical tele-indicating device of the type employing a circular rheostat at each of the transmitting and receiving stations, a contact carrying arm rotatably associated with each of said rheostats, a source of potential connected across the terminals of each of said rheostats, and a bridge circuitconnecting said transmitting and receiving stations including an electrical device responsive to the flow of current in said circuit, the combination of a pair of contacts carried by each of said arms and engaging the associated rheostat at diametrically opposite positions, a pair of fixed terminals electrically connected with each of said pairs of contacts, a

switch arm connected to each end of said bridge circuit and adapted to contact one or the other of the pair of fixed terminals at the respective station, means yieldably urging each of said switcharms into contact with one of its associated pair of fixed terminals, an electromagnet associated with each of said switch arms and adapted to move each of said arms into contact with the other of its associated pairof fixed terminals, means including a rotary switch operated by the contact carrying arm at the transmitting station for energizing said electromagnets only when the contact at the transmitting station electrically connected to the last mentioned fixed terminal is in engagement with the upper half of the circularrheostat at the transmitting station.

6. An electrical signalling system of the type employing a circular rheostat at each of the transmitting and receiving stations, a movable contact carryingyarm associated with each of said rheostats, a source of potential connected across the resistance. elements of said rheostats arranged in parallel, and a single bridge wire including a voltmeter connecting said transmitting and receiving stations, characterized by the provision in combination of a pair of contacts carried by each of said arms and engaging 'the associated rheostat resistance elements at diametrically opposite points on their circumferences, and means operated by the arm at. the

[transmitting station for connecting the bridge wire to that contact of the transmitting pair of contacts which at any instant is operating on the semi-circumference of the resistance element -symmetrically opposite the ends of the said resistance elements, and to the corresponding contact of the receiving pair of contacts;

NICOLAS EMILIEN METHLIN. 

